Скачать или смотреть Fixing GET Request Outputting Question Marks in PHP with cURL

Learn how to resolve encoding issues in PHP cURL GET requests that result in question marks and ensure proper character representation.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/73068058/ asked by the user 'Dimitar' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1315174/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/73069121/ provided by the user 'Aleksander Wons' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4737924/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Solving Encoding Issues in PHP cURL GET Requests

When working with web programming, it's not uncommon to encounter various issues, especially when dealing with different character encodings. A common issue developers face is when a GET request using PHP and cURL outputs question marks instead of the desired characters. This problem typically stems from an encoding mismatch between the response from the server and how your PHP script interprets it. In this guide, we will explore the issue in detail and provide a clear solution to ensure your data is displayed correctly.

Understanding the Problem

What Are Question Marks in Output?

The question mark (?) typically indicates that the application cannot display certain characters. In your scenario, when you send a cURL request, the response includes certain characters encoded in a format that your script does not understand. As a result, everything that cannot be understood gets replaced with a question mark.

For instance, you have a sample code snippet that looks like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this case, when you output $response, instead of seeing the original characters, you might see characters represented as question marks.

Why is This Happening?

The website you are trying to access returns content encoded in windows-1251, whereas your PHP script is interpreting it as UTF-8. Because of this mismatch, characters cannot be interpreted correctly, leading to the appearance of question marks in the output.

The Solution

To address this encoding issue, you can convert the response from windows-1251 to UTF-8 before using it. There are a couple of approaches you can take to handle this effectively:

Method 1: Using iconv

You can use PHP's iconv function to convert the character encoding from windows-1251 to UTF-8. Here's how you can implement it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Method 2: Using mb_convert_encoding

Alternatively, you can use mb_convert_encoding, which can also perform the encoding conversion. Here’s an example code snippet using this method:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Implementing the Solution

After you choose either method, you just need to replace your original $response variable with the converted variable when you're outputting data. For example:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

Handling different character encodings can be tricky, especially when consuming content from multiple sources. By understanding the encoding used by the server and converting it properly in your application, you can avoid unexpected formatting issues like question marks in your output.

Now, with the knowledge of how to convert encodings effectively using PHP's iconv or mb_convert_encoding, you can ensure that your application displays characters as intended, enhancing the user experience. For any web developer facing similar issues, these solutions will definitely prove beneficial!